The Indian Princess Part 4

_During the latter part of the dialogue, the INDIANS had crept in, still approaching till they had almost surrounded SMITH. A burst of savage music. They seize and bear him off, the PRINCE in vain endeavouring to prevent it._

PRINCE. Hold! the white man is the brother of your prince; hold, coward warriors! [_He rushes out._

SCENE V. _Powhatan River, as the first scene._

_Enter LARRY._

Now do I begin to suspect, what, to be sure, I've been certain of a long time, that master Robin's a little bit of a big rogue. I just now observed him with my friend Walter's wife. Arrah! here they come. By your leave, fair dealing, I'll play the eavesdropper behind this tree.

[_Retires behind a tree._

_Enter ALICE, followed by ROBIN._

ROBIN. But, mistress Alice, pretty Alice.

ALICE. Ugly Robin, I'll not hear a syllable.

ROBIN. But plague, prithee, Alice, why so coy?

_Enter WALTER [observing them, stops]._

ALICE. Master Robin, if you follow me about any longer with your fooleries, my Walter shall know of it.

ROBIN. A fig for Walter! is he to be mentioned the same day with the dapper Robin? can Walter make sonnets and madrigals, and set them, and sing them? besides, the Indians have eat him by this, I hope.

WALTER. Oh, the rascal!

ROBIN. Come, pretty one, quite alone, no one near, even that blundering Irishman away.

LARRY. O you spalpeen! I'll blunder on you anon.

ROBIN. Shall we, Alice, shall we?

_Quartetto._

ROBIN.

Mistress Alice, say, Walter's far away, Pretty Alice!

Nay, now--prithee, pray, Shall we, Alice? hey!

Mistress Alice?

ALICE.

Master Robin, nay-- Prithee, go your way, Saucy Robin!

If you longer stay, You may rue the day, Master Robin.

WALTER. [_Aside._] True my Alice is.

LARRY. [_Aside._] Wat shall know of this.

ROBIN. [_Struggling._] Pretty Alice!

WALTER. [_Aside._] What a rascal 'tis!

LARRY. [_Aside._] He'll kill poor Rob, I wis!

ROBIN. [_Struggling._] Mistress Alice, Let me taste the bliss-- [_Attempts to kiss her._

ALICE. Taste the bliss of this, [_Slaps his face._ Saucy Robin!

WALTER. [_Advancing._] Oh, what wond'rous bliss!

LARRY. [_Advancing._] How d'ye like the kiss?

ALICE. } WALTER. } Master Robin?

LARRY. }

[_ROBIN steals off._

WALTER. Jackanapes!

LARRY. Aye, hop off, c.o.c.k robin! Blood and thunder now, that such a sparrow should try to turn hawk, and pounce on your little pullet here.

ALICE. Welcome, my bonny Walter.

WALTER. A sweet kiss, Alice, to season my bitter tidings. Our captain's lost.

LARRY. } ALICE. } Lost!

WALTER. You shall hear. A league or two below this, we entered a charming stream, that seemed to glide through a fairy land of fertility. I must know more of this, said our captain. Await my return here. So bidding us moor the pinnace in a broad basin, where the Indian's arrows could reach us from neither side, away he went, alone in his boat, to explore the river to its head.

LARRY. Gallant soul!

WALTER. What devil prompted us to disobey his command I know not, but scarce was he out of sight, when we landed; and mark the end on't: up from their ambuscado started full three hundred black fiends, with a yell that might have appalled Lucifer, and whiz came a cloud of arrows about our ears. Three tall fellows of ours fell: Ca.s.sen, Emery, and Robinson. Our lieutenant, with Percy and myself, fought our way to the water side, where, leaving our canoe as a trophy to the victors, we plunged in, ducks, and, after swimming, dodging, and diving like regained the pinnace that we had left like geese.

ALICE. Heaven be praised, you are safe; but our poor captain--

WALTER. Aye; the day pa.s.sed and he returned not; we came back for a reinforcement, and to-morrow we find him, or perish.

ALICE. Perish!--

WALTER. Aye; shame seize the poltroon who wou'dn't perish in such a cause; wou'dn't you, Larry?

LARRY. By Saint Patrick, it's the thing I would do, and hould my head the higher for it all the days of my life after.

WALTER. But see, our lieutenant and master Percy.

_Enter ROLFE and PERCY._